Compare Northern Namibia self-drive safari to Victoria Falls by Audley Travel vs Premium Botswana & Namibia by Intrepid Travel

Day 1 : International outbound flight

Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Windhoek.

Day 2 : Windhoek

On arrival at Windhoek Airport you will be met by your driver and driven to your guesthouse in the centre of town. This afternoon our representative will meet with you to answer any last minute questions you may have and your vehicle will be delivered whilst they're present.

Day 3 : Central Highlands

Today your self drive adventure begins with the drive north to the Central Highlands. Here you will stay at the famous Okonjima Plains Camp - home of The AfriCat Foundation. We suggest you leave Windhoek early this morning so you can arrive at Okonjima in time for lunch and in time to enjoy the afternoon's activities (payable locally).

Day 4 : Etosha National Park

Today your journey continues to the eastern side of Etosha National Park. Here you will stay just outside the Von Lindequist gate for two nights at Mushara Bush Camp.

Day 5 : Etosha National Park

Today you can either drive back into the park yourselves or join one of the guides from Mushara and head into the park (payable locally) - with the expert eyes of your guide it is likely you will see more than if you were travelling on your own.

Day 6 : Rundu

You will drive onwards into the Caprivi today - the road is good quality tarmac so you should be able to make fast progress. Hakusembe has a lovely riverside location just outside Rundu and you might like to take an evening boat cruise (payable locally).

Day 7 : Popa Falls and Mahangu Game Park

Today is a relatively short drive to River Dance Lodge, very close to the border of Botswana. This National Park is incredibly varied combining both the aridness of the Kalahari with the lushness of the Okavango.

Day 8 : Popa Falls and Mahangu Game Park

Today you will have the chance to go on both a river cruise and also a game drive if you wish (payable locally) or alternatively explore under your own steam. There are more species of birds here than any other national park in Namibia as well as a number of larger mammals.

Day 9 : Popa Falls and Mahangu Game Park

A second day at River Dance Lodge.

Day 10 : Bwabwata National Park

Today your journey continues along the Caprivi Strip through the Bwabwata Game Park (formerly the Caprivi Game Park). As you exit the park turn south at Kongola and make your way to Mazambala Lodge. You will stay here for three nights.

Day 11 : Bwabwata National Park

A day on safari at Mazambala Lodge. You can either explore Mudumu and Mamili National Parks under your own steam, or join guided excursions (payable locally) from your lodge.

Day 12 : Bwabwata National Park

A day on safari at Mazambala.

Day 13 : Livingstone & The Victoria Falls

You'll continue along the Caprivi today to the border with Botswana where you will pass through immigration and drive to Chobe Safari Lodge. Here you will drop your car off and meet your driver from Waterberry Lodge. He will assist you over the border into Zambia where you will pay your visa fee, and drive you to the lodge.

Day 14 : Livingstone & The Victoria Falls

While you are at Waterberry there are a number of included activities. You can enjoy visits to Victoria Falls, Mosi O Tunya National Park or to local villages and craft markets. Birdwatching, fishing, picnic cruises and sundowners on the river are also available.

Day 15 : Livingstone & The Victoria Falls

A final day at Waterberry Lodge.

Day 16 : International return flight

This morning you will be transferred to Livingstone Airport.

Day 17 : International return flight

Arrive home today to complete your journey.

Day 1 Chobe National Park

Welcome to Botswana! Your adventure begins at Chobe National Park – one of Africa’s premier wildlife destinations and home to its largest population of Elephants. You will be collected from the airport and transferred to your accommodation on the banks of the Chobe River at the fringe of the national park. Here you will meet your tour leader and small group of fellow travellers for a 6pm welcome meeting. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where it will take place. After your meeting, join your group and leader for dinner at the lodge. Enjoy a celebration of indigenous food and the rich flavours of Africa as you dine alongside the scenic Chobe River.

Day 2 Zambezi River

Rise early for a morning game drive in Chobe National Park. You might see elephants drinking at the water's edge, large herds of cape buffaloes and many impalas within the park. Head back to the lodge for breakfast, then journey to the Ngoma Border Post before continuing to the Namibian side of the Zambezi River. Here you will find your Feature Stay accommodation, the fabulous Zambezi Mubala Lodge. Newly built, modern, innovative and stylish, Zambezi Mubala is a secret river hideaway where you can find hippos, vervet monkeys and over 450 species of birds. Arrive in time for a hearty lunch at the lodge, then enjoy some downtime to relax by the pool, spot wildlife from the bar or soak up the wild surroundings on the banks of the Zambezi River. Speak to your leader about some fabulous optional activities for the afternoon, including a canoe trip, a guided walking trail or a birding drive.

Day 3 Zambezi River

Today, head out for two boat cruises on the Zambezi River. The privileged position of your camp allows you to access a part of the river that most visitors don’t get to see, which means you’ll have the special opportunity to view abundant wildlife without the crowds. This region offers a wildlife spotting experience like no other – with a bit of luck you will see large herds of elephants, buffalo and antelope. Head back to the lodge to enjoy lunch, refreshments and time to relax. In the afternoon, head back out on the boat for sunset and enjoy drinks and refreshments as you watch the changing colours of the spectacular landscape.

Day 4 Makgadikgadi Pans

Heading south, cross the Ngoma border back into Botswana and continue your journey to the vast salt flats and grassy plains of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Located in the north-east of Botswana, the Makgadikgadi Pans are situated in the middle of a dry savanna and are all that remain of the former Lake Makgadikgadi. This afternoon, get to know your gold-hued, otherworldly surroundings during a 4x4 excursion in the Nata Bird Sanctuary. The immense, sprawling salt flat will unfold in front of you as you look out for aardvark, ostriches and mongooses. Surrounded by the Nata sanctuary, a breeding ground for thousands of water birds, the horizon is tinted pink by clouds of flamingos and pelicans. Savour the ethereal landscape as you sit out on the pans and enjoy drinks and snacks as the sun sets. Return to the lodge for dinner and relive the highlights of an exciting day.

Day 5 Thamalakane River

Embrace a very early start this morning and head out with a packed breakfast in hand. Today’s experience will surely be one to remember. Travel to the edge of the Ntwetwe salt pan, home to a resident family of entertaining Meerkats. With the aid of trackers, arrive in time to observe their morning rituals as the sun rises. Watch the meerkats bask in the morning sun before heading out for their daily foraging – the fantastic conditions and lighting will help you snap an unforgettable picture of these marvellous creatures. Stop at a neighbouring lodge for lunch, then continue to Maun, the gateway to one of the world's most complex ecosystems, the Okavango Delta.

Day 6 Thamalakane River (Okavango Delta)

Today, you'll take a traditional mokoro – a dugout canoe steered by friendly local 'polers' – for an Okavango waterways experience. With some luck, you could spot some of the delta's unusual wildlife and exotic birdlife. Spend some time today exploring the maze of lagoons, lakes and streams by mokoro before exploring on foot with a local guide. View plants, trees and animals from a different perspective and observe close-up details often missed on game drives. Your guide will provide expert knowledge and help you gain a deeper understanding of the environment. Lunch will be served on one of the many secluded islands created by the Delta waterways.

Day 7 Windhoek

Check out of your lodge this morning and transfer to the airport for an unaccompanied flight to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, known for its colonial German architecture and relaxed atmosphere. On arrival, you'll be met by another transfer driver who will take you to your hotel. Windhoek is known for its colonial German architecture and relaxed atmosphere. Perhaps head out for a stroll around town to admire the architecture of the Tintenpalast and Christuskirche buildings or stop by a local market to peruse handmade crafts.

Day 8 Windhoek

The Namibian section of your Premium Adventure begins tonight with an important welcome meeting at 6 pm, where you'll get to meet your new leader and travel companions. After your meeting, head to your boutique hotel’s sky lounge for a tapas dinner made with the freshest local ingredients. From here, you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding valley – a perfect spot to watch the sun go down.

Day 9 Sesriem

This morning, drive south to Sesriem, your gateway to the Sossusvlei Dunes, Deadvlei, and Sesriem Canyon. Arrive at your Feature Stay accommodation, for the next two nights, situated next to the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Take in the magnificent views, which can be enjoyed from your very own private patio. Enjoy lunch at the lodge’s restaurant, with the otherworldly landscape stretching far in each direction, then spend the afternoon relaxing by the bar or next to the sparkling pool. Later on, head out on a guided four-wheel drive (4x4) nature drive to discover the unique flora and fauna of the desert. Stop for a drink to take it all in as the sun sets, then return to the lodge for dinner and relax on the terrace overlooking the floodlit waterhole.

Day 10 Sesriem

Make an early-morning visit to Sossusvlei, which lies at the end of an ancient riverbed. This is a great opportunity for unsurpassed views of the surrounding area. Climbing to the top of Dune 45 will reward you with a spectacular perspective of the surreal desert landscape. After breakfast, travel to Deadvlei, a clay pan that lends itself to many iconic images. When you see the skeleton trees against a vibrant orange backdrop of dunes, you’ll soon understand what all the fuss is about. The pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world, 'Big Daddy' or 'Crazy Dune' averaging about 350 metres in height. In the afternoon, you will visit Sesriem Gorge, a tranquil natural corridor that you can walk through and explore. Return to the lodge for the evening.

Day 11 Swakopmund

Continue your journey to the beachside town of Swakopmund on the Skeleton Coast. Stop by the small settlement of Solitaire. Scattered with abandoned trucks, cars, petrol pumps and cacti, it's the only place between Walvis Bay and Sossusvlei to feature a petrol station, post office, general store, and bakery. Enjoy a piece of the local apple pie which has earned itself quite a reputation. Continue on past moon valley, named for its eerie lunar-like appearance, and the Tropic of Capricorn. Walvis Bay is the hibernation area for thousands of migratory birds, most notably flamingos. If in season you may take quick detour to see these elegant birds. Upon arrival at Swakopmund take some time for lunch, then join your leader on an orientation walk to get a feel for this interesting township with a German-Namibian atmosphere.

Day 12 Swakopmund

The day is yours to enjoy this gorgeous coastal town. Your accommodation conveniently located within walking distance of the town, where you can enjoy a walk on the beach, open air markets or the local museum. You may wish to take an optional trip north to Cape Cross, a breeding site for Cape fur seals. There can be in excess of 100,000 seals there at any given time, making for quite the spectacle (quite a smell too, if the wind happens to change direction). Wander the coastline and attempt to document these beautiful creatures with a photo or two, and visit the large cross that lies nearby, left by Diego Cao, the first European to arrive on Namibian soil in 1485.

Day 13 Damaraland

Leave the Atlantic Ocean coastline behind and drive towards the Namib Desert, along a portion of the Skeleton Coast. Take in the beautiful, diverse and colourful landscapes that stream past along the way; mountains, sand dunes, ocean waves and, shipwrecks. Continue to Damaraland. Home to Namibia's highest peak, ancient rock paintings and petrified forests, the harshly beautiful and sparsely populated Damaraland region is a land of extraordinary contrasts. Depending on the time of year, you might be lucky enough to see the desert elephants that roam the area. Your accommodation while here features a centrepiece swimming pool fringed by beautiful chalets, each with a private garden. End the day with a walk to a viewing platform to take in truly remarkable views of the surrounding Mopane woodland. The best spot to enjoy a drink as the sun goes down.

Day 14 Damaraland

Spend the morning visiting the Twyfelfontein Heritage Site and the Petrified Forest with expert local guides to provide insight on these wonders. Twyfelfontein has one of the largest concentrations of ancient rock engraving in southern Africa and is a fascinating insight into the past. The Petrified Forest looks back into nature’s history, where 280-million-year-old fossilised tree trunks lie. Continue on to the Living Museum of the Damara, which aims to reconstruct and preserve the 'lost culture’ of the Damara people. Your leader will tell you all about this fascinating traditional culture that is, along with the Bushmen, the oldest in Namibia. Return to the lodge in the afternoon, with the rest of the day free to relax by the pool with a book.

Day 15 Etosha National Park

Leave Damaraland behind and head towards Etosha National Park. On arrival, the afternoon will be free to relax at your lodge. Maybe cool off in the pool, read a book, or enjoy a sundowner by the bar. Be sure to charge your camera tonight as tomorrow will be a full day in the park. This is one of the world's premier game-viewing destinations; spotting animals in the park is relatively easy due to the man-made waterholes and the large, sparsely vegetated pans. The bushland surrounding the pans is difficult to see through, but there are enough clearings, pans and waterholes to allow for sightings. Namibia has protected its game reserves against poaching, so there are large herds of elephants, antelope and other herbivores.

Day 16 Etosha National Park

Rise early for a morning 4x4 game drive in the Etosha National Park. Keep a close eye on the landscape for black rhino, Hartmann's mountain zebra, black-faced impala, roan antelope and the tiny Damara dik-dik. The park is also home to some 340 bird species. Retire to a rest camp within the park for lunch and a swim, a welcome break from the midday sun, then set out again for an afternoon game drive in search of any wildlife you may have missed on the morning outing. Return to the lodge and reflect on the day's adventures with your fellow travellers over dinner.

Day 17 Windhoek

This morning after breakfast you will make your way back to Windhoek. Your adventure comes to an end on arrival. Please do not book any international flights departing from Windhoek before 8pm this evening to allow for any unexpected delays. If you would like to extend your stay, additional accommodation can be booked in advance (subject to availability).